RiscaGame wrote:Job done to be fair Geordie. Yes the game is pretty boring, but it's a very professional performance.Think if that idiot winger hadn't butchered two tries and the ten had kicked his pens, maybe 29-16 would be a fairer score line, but as I said Scotland have done all they've had to.

Very true Risca and bar Irelands victory no Italy game has been pretty

Well have to say we had a really good day out at Murray field. It was not a classic but the weather was sh1t and let's not forget that we lost to Italy last time at home and. ost recent games have been close. A bonus point win and a nil for them is more than enough to keep me happy.

So who said Hoggy can't defend? He had a good game today as did FR, who showed that he can control a game and probably put himself back in the Lions frame. He is a cool customer no doubt and can put a bad game out of his head as well as any player. We should remember as well that at the beginning of the tournament we thought he was not an international class kicker. well he kicked excellently again today and has as good stats as anyone, probably better than most, of all the tournament kickers. That should not stop him being picked.

Other players who I thought stood out included Zander again, who was immense in the loose and funnily enough Grant Gilchrist. Very lucky to be on the field and yet showed a lot more than he seems to have for Edinburgh this year. He owed VC one for picking him and he repaid.

Their was a bit of a carnival atmosphere in the stadium and at no point were we ever going to lose. Even the Italians seemed to realise that and obliged by even missing their easy kicks. I don't really approve of Mexican waves during matches but by then the only question was whether we would get a bonus point or not and I never really doubted that we would not. The last try was the pick of the bunch, patient and great skill by Hoggy toget Seymour away in the end.

It was really good in the end as well that so many people stayed behind to applaud the team on a lap of honour and to say goodbye to Vern. The fans do appreciate the great improvements that we have made in his tenure and we are going to miss what he has brought. Toonie has a lot to live up to but I feel confident. A lot of these guys are his players and he knows what makes them tick. They will play for him just as they have done for Vern.

We have quite enjoyed our weekend in Edinburgh as well. I don't usually stay in Edinburgh, it being family policy to get back on the train to Glasgow ASAP! Still I have to say it has not dissapointed, apart from the weather, we walked up Calton Hill this morning and could hardly see the bottom. Still we went to the National Gallery yesterday and saw the Monarch of the Glen on the day it was saved for the nation and we are going to the National Museum of Scotland before flying home tomorrow.

The trams though. Great for the airport hop but a nightmare for going to the game. We gave ourselves an hour and a half to get to ground from Princess St and only got there with 10 mins to spare. They were all rammed and really slow. Eventually had to tuck the wife under my arm and just crash into an already full tram. A tactic lots of others were using as well. It was worse than anything I ever experienced on the tube.

When we got to Murray field, each tram took over 5 mins to unload, which probably is the cause of all the delays. Everyone has to walk over the tracks in front of the tram before they will release it from the platform, letting the next one come in. Another overlooked design flaw!

whocares wrote:Italy finishes with zero wins, zero (bonus) points and zero points in their last game. Has to be their worst ever 6N?

All other sides have relatively improved though. Italy were just unfortunately caught out being the same. Add the incentive of the try points system and you can see why Italy might have suffered that bit more this season. I think the new rules were always going to pressure Italy more than other sides. Where once sides might have been happy to win depending on their position in the Championship etc, now they need to hunt down those important tries. So Italy don't get as much leisure to have some purple patch moments of attack.

The new rules make all sides more resolute in attack and unmerciful. Italy, in O'Shea's first term, just don't have the ammo yet to have been ready for that extra pressure.

I'd argue a bit with your numbers. Gilcrest 4. As usual gave away a load of stupid pens and did nothing much with the ball. I just don't understand what anyone sees in him. He is just a penalty machine

TJ wrote:I'd argue a bit with your numbers. Gilcrest 4. As usual gave away a load of stupid pens and did nothing much with the ball. I just don't understand what anyone sees in him. He is just a penalty machine

Gilchrist was good by his usual usual standards, but by normal standards he was poor. He gave away too many silly penalties, the 2 from the line out on our 5m line spring to mind.

I suspect that Gilchrist just signed his test rugby death warrant with that performance.

Ben Toolis is much more Toonie's style of player and surely now deserves his chance. Gilchrist is currently competing against two current Glasgow players (Jonny, Tiny Tim) and one ex-Glasgow player (Richie). It doesn't look good for him.

Gilchrist is neither as powerful as the likes of Donnacha Ryan or Courtney Lawes, as mobile as Saint Maro of Itoje, as hard working as Joe Launchbury, as specialist as Devin Toner, as technically accomplished as George Kruis or as Welsh/handsome/legendary/world class (delete according to personal taste) as Alun Wynn Jones. Quite difficult to understand what he's for. Being a big soft lump at lock is not enough any more.